User manual
37
July/August 2014 resolution
GEARMODULAR PROCESSING SUPPLEMENT
CharterOak Acoustics
CharterOak’s K500 Ultra Parametric
3-Band Equaliser claims high headroom,
low distortion, and three ultra wide
bands. The Low Band centre frequency
sweeps 20Hz-500Hz, the constantly
variable Mid sweeps 500Hz-10kHz,
High Band sweeps 800Hz-20kHz, and
the bandwidth sweeps 0.50-2 octaves
in all three Bands. Additionally, there
are Bell and Shelf selection switches in high and low bands and
a ‘divide by 10’ switch in the Mid Band. There’s +/-12dB of gain in
2dB steps via 11-position rotary switches and a -24dB cut selection
on each band. High Pass Filter is -10dB@20kHz and Low Pass Filter
is -10dB@20kHz.
www.charteroakacoustics.com
Ocean Audio
There are currently six 500-Series modules in the Ocean Audio
product line-up and also a range of consoles — called The Ark
— that can be loaded with 500-Series modules. The 500 MicPre
one is a mic/line preamp module with additional Hi-Z/line input
on the front panel. The MicPre two is a transistor front-ended
mic/line preamp module with additional Hi-Z/line input on the
front panel. The 500 EQ one is a classic design 4-band equaliser
module with 4-band sweep and Malcolm Toft Signature Sound.
The 500 EQ two is a classic design 4-band equaliser module with
2-band sweep and Malcolm Toft Signature Sound.
Ocean Audio Mix modules turn a 500-Series rack into a modular
mixer. Use one 500 O/P Mix Master module with as many 500 I/P
Mix Input modules as the rack will hold to create a multichannel
mixer with EQ and aux sends per channel.
www.oceanaudio.co.uk
Focusrite
The Red Series mic preamp has
returned in the compact form of the
Red 1 500 Series Mic Pre. The module
is made in England and uses the same
circuit design and components as the
original, the same Lundahl LL1538
input transformer and custom Carnhill
output transformer, Grayhill gold-
plated gain switch with a gain range
of 66dB, switchable phantom power,
polarity invert, and a backlit VU meter
with calibration.
www.focusrite.com
Earthworks
The 521 ZDT is Earthworks’ first 500-Series
module. Based on the ZDT preamp technology
designed by David Blackmer, the 521 ZDT
provides a ‘wire with gain’ option to the rack.
The solid state ZDT 521 has switchable phantom
power, polarity invert, and peak amplitude clip
detection. The transformerless output stage
will drive long cable runs without loss. Gain is
switchable from 5dB-60dB in 5dB steps.
www.earthworksaudio.com
Realios
Originally designed for the Olympic Studios
console by Dick Swettenham with guidance
from engineer Keith Grant, the A9052 EQ is
available. It provides extremely high and low
shelving bands as well as a two-position HP lter.
An addition to the original three-transistor make
up gain stage is a Class-A transistor output stage
capable of driving the most demanding of loads.
Also included is a step-down input transformer
and step-up output transformer that provide
6dB greater than the 500-Series voltage rails
normally allow.
The Realios TLCompressor combines high-
quality electronically-balanced audio elements
with a tungsten lamp as a gain reduction element to provide
smooth, artefact-free, soft-knee levelling. Features include
stepped Input (-15 to +22.5dB gain in 2.5dB steps) and Output
(-5 to +22.5dB gain in 2.5dB steps) attenuators, hard Bypass,
Threshold indicator lamp, and balanced input and output.
www.realios.com
Safe Sound Audio
Safe Sound Audio’s Stereo Toolbox
is a stereo bus compressor capable
of processing audio in left/right or
mid/side. A stereo width control,
sweepable from mono through
stereo to extra wide, is available in
all modes of operation independent
of whether the user is processing in
LR or MS. The unit accepts balanced
stereo and delivers transformer
balanced outputs at levels up to
+28dBu. It is based on Safe Sound’s
‘dynamic tracking’ circuitry, which allows the attack and release
times to be dynamically modied by analogue processing to
track the dynamic content of the audio. The unit features a
sweepable HP lter that can be selected to operate during LR or
MS compression in the mono sidechain to control low frequency
pumping, or it can be switched to operate in the sidechain to
remove low end boom.
www.safesoundaudio.co.uk
Serpent Audio
Serpent Audio’s SB4001 500-Series
stereo bus compressor has quad VCAs,
six ratios, 10 attack times, high pass/
boost/slope sidechain filters, wet/dry
blend control,
external (key)
input, stepped
release settings
and classic and
alternate auto release. There’s also a
Grind Mode for valve-style harmonic
drive. The Chimera is billed as a faithful
replication of the classic LA-3A design
featuring all-discrete circuit design, Class-AB transistor output,
true T4B optical cell, and transformer-balanced input and output.
www.serpentaudio.com
Atlas Pro Audio
APA’s Leviathan compressor is inspired by the LA-3A and LA-2A’s
‘set and forget’ style programme-dependent compression with
its Vintage auto mode. As a discrete Class-A single-ended design
with iron core transformers on input and output, features include
variable attack, release, ratio, and Punch low frequency sidechain.
It can be closely stereo matched and stereo linked.
www.atlasproaudio.com